Full Moon
by lucy quinn fabray
Summary: A New Moon rewrite from Jacob's POV. Edward leaves Bella and she spirals into a deep depression. Jacob offers her happiness and undying loyalty. But things get complicated shortly thereafter... Jacob x Bella. AU. Complete!
1. Preface

Preface

Being a werewolf? Yeah, it sucks. A lot.


	2. If I Didn’t Know Any Better, I’d Say

If I Didn't Know Any Better, I'd Say  
the Quileute Legends Were True

With all the free time I had now, I would soon see my completed Rabbit. The unfinished project stood next to the patched up motorcycles in my garage. They were absolutely beautiful and I was resolved to try them out in the near future. That depended on Bella, of course, who I was forbidden to see. Billy kept me indoors and away from the phone until my transformation was under control.

Sam Uley had provided me with tips to control my new abilities. He was very kind and wise from what I recalled, instead of the façade he seemed to live under. Sam guided me through the steps, teaching the finer basics of being a wolf.

The slightest provocation could have set me morphing in less than three seconds – luckily, thanks to Sam, I knew when and what time to change. Soon I found Embry and Quil morphing as well, and I helped teach them in turn. At least I wasn't alone, right?

I still missed my old life, however. I missed hanging out with Embry, Quil, and Bella the most. We had grown to best friends so quickly; it was simply the best feeling. It was hard on me to not see the old Chevy truck outside the front window everyday or hear Bella's laughter. How badly I wanted to escape my fate and go back to normal!

There was only one reason why my life had gone topsy-turvy. Bloodsuckers were returning – how many I did not know. Our shape-shifting forms in La Push would reinforce the treaty that my ancestors had established all those years ago. I'd feel sorry for any that disregarded the boundaries.

"Hi Jake. It's Bella, again. I hope you're feeling better. Call me, okay? Please?"

The answer machine clicked and Bella's lovely voice was silenced. Billy looked at me sadly and motioned for me to play the next message. I hated how he could lie right through his teeth and say that I was ill.

"Jacob, it's Sam. I need you to grab your buddies and patrol the border. I can sense we have a trespasser."

_Click_. I sighed and ran a hand through my shaggy hair. Time to go round up Embry and Quil.

"Bye Dad," I said, as I shut the door behind me.

My morphing became easier and easier. It was like second nature to me. I stomped my paws and snapped my jaws before I made contact with the others.

_Quil and Embry? You got Sam's message?_

_Yes, we did._

In a flash, my wolfy friends emerged from the brush and ran over to me.

_Well, let's go! The bloodsuckers won't wait around for us._

_Unless they got a dinner invitation._

If I could have rolled my eyes, I would have. Quil and Embry tended to not take things as seriously as they should.

We sprinted as fast as we could, teetering on the border line. That was what our assignment was, and where we'd find our bloodsuckers. After a half hour of nothing, we stopped to take a short rest. Quil, even though he was one of the newly transformed, spotted Paul and Jared less than five hundred feet away from us.

_Paul and Jared! What on Earth?_

_Sh, Quil. We've found our bloodsucker._

_As in one?_

_Yes Jacob! Come look!_

The three of us hurried over to spot our target, which happened to be a dark haired leech. Disgusting!

_Wait, who's that?_

_Hm, it sort of looks like Jacob's leech-lover._

_Bella!_

I looked anxiously from afar, only to drop it quickly as the wolves' thoughts penetrated my mind. They always gave me crap for liking Bella, and I certainly couldn't hide it.

_Who's ready for some fun? Five against one will be interesting!_

_Let's go!_

_Right behind you!_

The five of us thought bitter and angry thoughts. Our vendetta against this leech was spiteful and in a way, protective. The way he eyed Bella did not make him seem friendly. All the more reason to rip him into shreds.

_Must you be so consumed with her? It's rather annoying to us._

_Shut up, Embry._

I growled and let a howl escape to warn the leech of his imminent death. He snapped his head toward the five of us and instantly fled to the woods. It was more fun to catch prey on the run anyway. I flew past Bella without a single glance.

_Look here! We've got a runner!_

_After him! He mustn't escape!_

_Bella will be safe, won't she?_

_Of course Jacob. If it's any consolation, you can have the first bite._

_Gladly._

Within five minutes of the chase, we caught up to the leech. I sprinted ahead and lunged to tackle the thing into the ground. The other four joined in the slaughter, ripping chunks of ice cold skin from the leech's body. Quil and Embry got into the spirit as quickly as the other wolves.

Paul finished off the decimated body, making sure it could never reincarnate or regenerate or whatever bloodsuckers did. Jared covered the pieces (or what was left of them) and buried others in random locations.

_Great work guys. Good kill._

_Yeah. Though I'm jealous that Jacob got first dibs._

_You shredded him more than I did!_

_True, but still._

_Oh, stop arguing! We've got to go back and tell Sam._

_Where _was_ he? I couldn't contact him._

_Same. Maybe he went to Emily's?_

_Probably._

I let out a wolfy equivalent of a laugh and then raced the others back to Emily's. Besides seeing Sam, Emily could cook us a mighty big meal. We were wolves, after all.

Morphing back into human form, Paul, Jared, Embry, Quil, and I walked up the steps and knocked on the door. A couple of voices rose in volume and the scuffling of feet could be heard.

"I've got it Emily! Just sit – oh, what's this?" said Sam, looking at all of us with a puzzled expression.

"Victory party, Sam! We killed that bloodsucker in its entirety," said Quil, as the rest of us grinned.

He looked surprised. "Congratulations, kiddos! I think Emily cooked a big meal -"

Not needing another word, we stormed into the kitchen and looked hungrily at our fantastic cook.

"Eat up!" she said, shoving plates at us. We happily obliged.

"Good meal, Emily. Thank you," I commented, on the behalf of my pack (minus Sam). She smiled and nodded. I had the misfortune to witness Sam and her kiss passionately before I resumed my meal.

"Sam, that's gross! I just lost my appetite! Thanks!" said Quil, who frowned and pushed his plate away from himself. Jared noticed this.

"Are you going to finish that?" he asked, with hungry eyes. Quil quickly pulled the plate back in front of himself. "Yes," he said, resuming to eat.

I laughed. Sam, Paul, and Embry joined in as well. "So, anyways, where were you Sam? We were wondering," I asked him, which happened to spark everyone's interest.

"Yeah, Sam! What Jacob said," imputed Embry, before Sam held up his hands in defense.

"I had originally planned to patrol with you all, but," he started to say, but paused briefly.

"But!" interrupted Quil, causing Sam to frown.

"But, sudden happenstance occurred," he continued. He was ever so vague.

"Which were?" I said, interested.

He glanced nervously at Emily, who nodded to let him continue.

"Guys, you know the Clearwaters?" he asked. Obviously. "Well," he continued to say, "Harry Clearwater had a heart attack today. He's in the hospital and it doesn't look too good."

Simultaneously, our forks clattered against our plates in shock. Harry Clearwater was dying? It seemed impossible, so sudden! Everyone stayed silent for a few moments, until the question bubbled out of me.

"What caused his heart attack, Sam?" I asked.

He fumbled for words. "Seth, as you all know, made his transformation recently. I've been training him lately and I didn't even see the symptoms."

"What symptoms? Of who?" asked Paul.

"Harry was frightened because he saw the transformations himself, which caused that heart attack," said Sam, sadly.

"Wait, if Seth already…" said Embry, piecing together the information.

"Leah is a shape-shifter?" I asked, as the room exploded into noise.

"That explains those girly thoughts. I thought Jacob was thinking them," said Quil, as Embry high-fived him.

"Shut up, Quil." I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Precisely Jacob. So tonight I want us to welcome Seth and Leah to the pack officially," said Sam, looking at Emily thoughtfully.

"Wait, is that even possible? A female wolf?" asked Quil, smirking back at me.

"Apparently," commented Paul.

"Meet on the beach, at oh, say six o'clock? I want this to cheer the kids up as well," added Sam, more cheerfully.

"We'll be there," offered Jared, as we cleaned up our plates. We knew better than to leave the house dirty. I followed the others out, but paused at the door.

"Yes, Jacob?" asked Sam, who had grabbed his own portion of food.

"You weren't going to meet us, were you?" I said, catching on to his vagueness.

Sam stopped mid-bite and looked at me. "Right," he said simply.

Before I went to leave, I just had to ask one more impending question. "How did you know about the bloodsuckers?"

"Okay. Once I heard about Leah, I knew these transformations were not random. Jacob, there's a spike in the coven – or something. Either the Cullens have returned, or there are strangers near these parts. I'll need you to patrol more, and later. Can you handle that?"

I nodded. Continuing out the door, I didn't want to acknowledge the Cullens if they returned, or the ignorant new bloodsuckers. Either way, I was upset. Upset enough that I wanted to seek out a best friend. The one that I couldn't visit and was advised not to see. Clearly Bella.

I returned home and fell asleep from the excellent meal. After two hours, I stirred and looked at the clock. It read five fifty-five.

"Oh, my GOD," I yelled, running around and grabbing clothing. It was inevitable that I needed to change to make it to the bonfire. Well, I was only a couple minutes late. I received some looks as it seemed that everyone had beaten me.

"Guess what Sleeping Beauty? You're late!" quipped Embry, who smirked back at me.

"Anyways," started Sam, letting me seethe in silence, "Seth and Leah, welcome to the pack!"

The pack celebrated by whooping and howling into the night air. Seth and Leah sat with their backs facing the water, which lapped violently against the shore. The happy-go-lucky Seth looked pleases to be joining us, but Leah looked as if her bitter streak hadn't ended. Thanks to the wolfy mind connections, Sam's previous love story with Leah was made known to everyone in the pack. For this reason, I was sure this why Emily had stayed behind. Personally, I had no prior animosity with the girl. Maybe Leah felt it was his fault for imprinting on Emily. We would soon find out when Sam and I properly trained her.

Hotdogs, marshmallows, and conversions were shared around the bonfire in honor of our new wolves. After all, it wasn't everyday that people turned into animals.

Once it started getting dark and the fire started to weaken, Sam got up and motioned to the Clearwaters. "I'm leaving with Seth and Leah. Plan on having a pack meeting tomorrow. Goodnight everyone."

Quil and Embry groaned. I hit them to shut them up. "Goodnight, Sam," I said. The rest followed suit.

After they left, Jared and Paul stomped the fire out and said their goodbyes to the three of us. "See you at school tomorrow!" Paul said, laughing.

"I totally forgot! It's Sunday, isn't it?" I asked, groaning silently.

"Yeah, Jacob," said Quil, who shook his head.

"Get some sleep, huh?" added Embry, walking in stride with Quil and I.

"I'll try," I admitted, knowing I'd have to cut down my patrolling.

At quarter to two in the morning, I decided to resign to my house and my bed. I had four hours dedicated to sleep – and I took advantage of that. Billy had to shake me numerous times to get me awake.

"I don't _want _to go to school," I mumbled, trying to kick my dad away.

"You patrolled last night, didn't you?" he asked, with an all-knowing smile.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm getting up."

School was less than thrilling, as usual. I made up for sleep during class anyway. To my annoyance, however, Quil and Embry kept shooting paper balls at my head.

"Wake up Jacob! Wake up!" they'd whisper.

Only after I threatened them with a beating did they leave me alone.

Finally, school had ended. A few hours belonged to me; probably devoted to sleeping. I actually tried out the motorcycle, without Bella, just to see if it had worked. It did. I was finally home.

Walking toward my room, I was stopped by the sudden piercing ring of the phone. Curiosity kept me from letting it go unnoticed. Refraining myself from picking it up, the answering machine did that for me.

"Jacob Black! This is the final straw! You don't or never return my calls! I'm coming over, right now!" said the angry voice.

"Bella, no! No, no, no!" I howled, knowing that she was already on her way.

She was helping in all the wrong ways. I wasn't supposed to see her – maybe I could scare her away. I was her best friend though; I couldn't hurt her. Bella was smart – she could figure out the secret - hints were all she needed.

What about the meeting? She'd want to stick around for a couple hours. Knowing how mad Bella was, she might not stay long anyway.

So soon did the red Chevy pull into the driveway.

Oh crap.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

Anon: I don't know if you'll read this again, but in case, the below note explains everything. You are correct, Quil transforms between the events of New Moon and Eclipse. For the events of this story, Breaking Dawn is rendered useless and thus why I decided to consolidate New Moon and Eclipse. c:

I decided to speed up Embry, Quil, Seth, and Leah's transformations to better fit my story. I'm deciding to consolidate New Moon and Eclipse for my story too. So I would expect a confrontation sometime in the future. ^^

Oh, and the Twilight Saga belongs to Stephenie Meyer!

**_Author's Note (6/8/12):_**

Story image has been added. Made by moi in Photoshop.

~Lucy


	3. Don’t Make Me Say I Told You So

Don't Make Me Say I Told You So –  
Wait, I Just Did

I hesitated to welcome Bella back to my house. On one hand, the pack would be less than thrilled with me. On the other hand, it was Bella. I couldn't abandon my best friend, whose smile warmed my already warm heart.

Walking out the front door, I saw that Bella had put her head against the steering wheel. Probably deceived by seeing no signs of life or cars in the front of the house, Bella was most likely waiting for Billy or I to return.

Approaching the open passenger side window, I leaned in to grab her attention. "What are you doing here Bella?" I growled.

Her head snapped up. "You know why," she said, matter-of-factly. Bella's eyebrows narrowed, making her anger more real. At this point, however, I did not care.

It was like the world had stopped revolving for that one second. I was suddenly looking at an angel's face. The world had new meaning; destiny had found me. It was so rare to imprint on another that I figured I would be one who never would. I also suddenly knew how Sam and Jared felt; Bella was literally my world.

Imprinting breathed new life into me, Jacob Black, who originally thought that being a wolf was bad. Now Bella was mine – if she'd have me. Ready to do anything to make her happy, Bella had me wrapped around her finger (unbeknownst to her).

The only downside (well not really) was that meant I definitely had to tell her the truth. Not that I would get in trouble with the pack, Bella seemed like one to run off screaming (well, maybe not).

"Jacob! Are you even listening?" Bella asked impatiently. I shook my head absentmindedly as if to shake me back into reality.

"I'm so sorry Bells," I replied, as her lip started to tremble, "I should have called you sooner. It's just that I… have a_ big_ secret."

Bella's lip ceased from trembling, only to have her front teeth dig into her lower lip. She seemed less angry, but more understanding.

"Forgiving you might not be easy," she said, with a small smile. "I'm willing to if you tell me what's going on."

I laughed. "What're you, twenty-five or something? Bribing me! Sheesh!"

She cracked a smile once more. Opening the door, she climbed out and joined me by leaning on the side of her truck. Though, it was rather uncomfortable.

"You're one to talk! Over six feet, for sure! Jake, you're huge! But tell me already," Bella replied.

"Six five, thank you. As for telling you, I'm not allowed, per se," I said, watching her smile fade. "But you can guess – that way, I didn't directly tell you."

Adding this statement in haste, it reassured the nerves and instilled confidence. Hopefully, I could win back my best friend and soul mate. She nodded with eagerness, setting me at ease. The pack meeting was soon (which didn't help when I had busted my watch) so telling her my hints would need to happen quickly.

"Look Bella," I explained, maintaining eye contact at all times, "this is going to sound extremely weird. _Non-human _almost. Do you remember the legends I told you?"

Bella nodded, immediately remembering. "Yes, of course. Which ones?" she asked.

"The bloodsuckers-"

"Vampires, you mean?"

"Vampires, fine," I corrected myself. "Remember who else pertained to that?"

"Werewolves?"

"Yeah. Guess what? Both parts of the legends are true," I replied, sealing my mouth until she figured my big secret out.

Bella was lost in thought. Looking around to waste time, I noticed with my newly enhanced senses a beautiful red rose. Billy must have planted it, since my mom's died over the winter. Taking my time (since Bella hadn't figured anything out), I plucked a solitary flower from the bush. Thorns fell from the stem as the knife smoothed over the surface.

"Jake!" Bella called, causing me to turn around.

"Yeah?" I replied, walking back over. She seemed to have turned paler.

"Are you a…" she started to say, but drifted off before she could finish.

"Say it!" I cried out indignantly, wanting to get the burden off my shoulders and the forgiveness I deserved. Bella wasn't making it any easier for me!

"Werewolf," she said at last.

I smiled. "Close, but we're just shape-shifters, whose forms happen to take a wolves'."

Bella's eyes widened and she bit her lip again. "There's more than one of you!?" she asked, incredulously.

"Yeah, Sam, Quil, and Embry are wolves too," I replied.

"Wow. This is so unreal," she said, indifferently.

Neither of us responded. It blew the capacity of a normal human's brain. Thankfully. Bella was a special sort of person – one who appealed to both urban legends. I suddenly remembered the rose in my hands, which was for her. Holding it up to her face, I stepped toward her.

"For you, Bells. A beautiful flower for a beautiful girl," I said, quite suavely. She giggled and took the rose shyly.

"Thanks, Jake," she smiled, tucking the rose behind an ear. "Guess you're not so bad after all."

All was forgiven. "Thanks for the approval, your highness," I smirked.

Bella and I were back on speaking terms for now. I hoped that she was okay with the fact that I turned into a huge, hairy beast whenever I so chose. Maybe she was used to the supernatural actually; she had a knack for attracting vampires.

"So you don't mind if I turn into a huge, scary dog?" I asked her, hopeful for a yes.

"Of course not, Jake! You're still my best friend, after all," she replied, smiling.

A goofy grin spread across my face. Hugging Bella as hard as I could, I spun her around a couple times.

"I knew you wouldn't mind!"

"Er, you're suffocating me."

Immediately letting go of her, I made sure I didn't accidentally kill my imprintee. That wouldn't be too good. Nodding sheepishly, I took her small hand in mine and lead her toward my house. There, we could catch up with schoolwork and life in general. Just Bella and I like the old times.

Since I hadn't phased since the night before, I had no idea that Sam changed the time of the meeting. Nor did he bother to call me at least, apparently. For when Bella and I stepped through my front door, seven other wolves were staring at us. Of course, they were in human form; it was still cramped in my humble abode nevertheless.

Awkward silence filled the room as I just stared at Sam in annoyance. Paul was the first to speak, to much of my surprise.

"What is the leech-lover during here, Jacob?" he growled, growing angrier by the second.

I instinctively stepped in front of Bella, in case Paul was ready to rip out our throats. "Leave, Bella," I said, without taking my eyes off Paul. He started inching toward us, putting me in alarm mode. She understood and obediently left the house. I didn't relax until I heard her truck rumble away.

Sam grasped the gravity of the situation too late as Paul started to lunge at me.

"Jacob, go now," Sam instructed. I obeyed my pack leader regrettably/ Next thing I knew, I heard a variety of howls and yelling.

"How dare he expose our secret to her!" said a yell, coming out from my house. Paul was bounding out in wolf form now, headed for my throat. It was such times I wished we didn't have acute hearing or the ability to morph into animals.

Ah, my last pair of good clothing. Thanks, Paul. In the nick of time, I turned into my wolf form to combat my angry friend.

A million voices slammed into my head and I tried to ignore them. Luckily, I was swifter and quicker than Paul; I had him pinned in three minutes.

_Listen, Paul!_

I shoved the memory of imprinting on Bella into my mind. Paul ceased frm attacking me promptly.

_I'm sorry man, I didn't know._

_Forget it, Paul._

We collected our scattered clothes (or what was left of them) and went to find the rest of our comrades. It wasn't long until we saw more exploded clothing. Everyone but Sam and Leah had morphed.

"What was _that_ all about?" Leah asked.

"Jacob imprinted on Bella!" exclaimed Seth, happily.

Luckily, we all had extra clothing. We made sure so it wouldn't be awkward around Leah, even though we could never escape it.

Leah and Sam exchanged looks. "Oh, wonderful Jacob. Congrats on claiming the leech-lover," she said coldly.

I smirked at her. "It's something _you _wouldn't understand."

I realized the stupidity in my statement. "Oh, damn. I didn't mean it like that Leah."

"Of course not! Poor Leah!" she shrieked, on the edge of tears. But most of her tears had been shed already.

Sam's eyes immediately widened. "It's okay, Leah," he said, softly.

"No, it's not!" she yelled, slamming her foot against the ground. Leah turned right around and headed for her house.

"Aw, Leah!" called Seth, but it was no use.

Hanging out with guys all day was probably driving Leah to tears – literally. We never really understood why she felt a certain way of felt personally attacked. She was becoming more disconnected from us, rather than bonded. It scared Sam tremendously.

He sighed. "Thanks for coming," he announced, shooting off a look at me. "Now, I have reason to suspect that our vampire coven has or will be returning. The transformation rate is quite high."

"Why? That makes no sense. Why would they return all of a sudden?" asked Embry, slightly confused. Weren't we all…

"I don't know," said Sam, honestly. "But we're going to have to be alert at all times, even if it means sacrificing sleep."

The group groaned simultaneously. "Jeez, Sam! We never sleep anymore!" complained Quil.

I was about to burst at the seams. "Can we go now? Mind if I sleep for once in three days?" I asked irritably.

Sam nodded, noticing my lack of attention. He couldn't fight with six other wolves, or deal with Leah's tantrum.

"Yeah, go. We'll reconvene tomorrow. I need full cooperation, people!" Sam said, as I hurried away. I did not care at this point; I was tired and needed rest.

Turning on the television, I stretched on the living room couch. Less than a minute later, dreams consumed me.

Bella was the focus of my dreams. They held new meaning, however. She was the dominant force in my humble life – her existence made my existence possible.

Waking six hours later, the clock on the wall read nine o'clock. I yawned tremendously; I stood up in haste. Sitting next to me happened to be Bella, watching television quietly.

"Jeez, Bella!" I whined, almost jumping out of my skin quite literally.

Bella laughed. "What are you, a scaredy cat or something?" she teased.

I pretended to laugh along. "Har, har. Funny, aren't you?"

"I know," she said, with a giggle.

"How long have you been here? Won't Charlie like, kill you for being out this late?" I asked. It was true; Charlie wasn't very lenient with curfews, especially when her leech stayed over. Fortunately, Charlie liked me a bit more so I was actually allowed over.

"Just around an hour. But yeah, won't you come to my funeral, Jake?"

It was my turn to laugh. "Of course, Bella. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Thanks," Bella replied, grimacing.

Lapsing into silence, the room grew silent with my awkward phase of Bella's meaning to me. She was prevalent in my dreams and aspects of my life; I would probably spiral into nothing if she rejected me. Maybe I should approach this like a normal sixteen year old kid?

"Bella," I said suddenly, "would you like to go to Port Angeles to see a movie with me tomorrow night?"

So sue me if it were a school night. If Billy and Charlie were concerned, we'd do our homework early.

"I'd love to!" Bella exclaimed. "That is, if you don't mind the Chevy."


	4. A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out

A Fever You Can't Sweat Out  
(Panic! At the Disco Style)

I must have looked slobbish or something, considering it took me a half hour or less to complete my wardrobe for the movies. It took me even less to complete my homework that night.

Waiting for Bella _still_, I decided to take the initiative and drive over to her house. Billy gave me the usual speech (not that I cared much, though) but said goodbye nevertheless. He simply smiled and continued to watch the game on the television.

Parking the bike next to the Chevy, I got out and knocked on the door lightly. Charlie opened it, admitting me in. He did, however, start to give my bike a scrutinizing look. I reassured him quickly that I did not intend on taking his daughter on a motorcycle to Port Angeles.

Save, it was the only interaction of the night. Charlie watched the baseball game, only reacting when someone jumbled the ball, hit a homerun, or even when a strikeout occurred. I didn't really understand how Charlie or even my dad could stare at a pill for three hours that would never impact their lives.

Thankfully, Bella came to the rescue ten minutes later, throwing me a sympathetic look. Oh, god. She was simply stunning. Bella didn't have to impress me with skirts or tight-fitting tops; she was simply gorgeous even with all that black smear around her eyes. Wearing a Charlie-approved outfit, blue jeans and a yellow top went with Bella's long hair, which went tame without a scrunchie or headband. Wonderfully beautiful…

"Hey Jake!" she exclaimed, as I met her in the living room. Giving me a hug, Bella flinched at the sudden warmth that I emitted from my constant fever. Smiling though, she turned and told her father that we were leaving.

"Bye Charlie!" she said, as he snapped his attention away from the game.

"Alright, Bella," he replied, looking like he wanted to say something more. "You kids stay out of trouble," he added, as Bella pulled me by the arm. Eagerly, Bella ran and grabbed her keys, challenging me to a race as I shut the front door.

Of course, I won with my lightning quick speed. Waiting with my arms outstretched, I waited for Bella to reluctantly hug me.

"I won!" I gloated, causing Bella to frown and punch me lightly in the shoulder.

"No fair," she said, "considering you're a wolf and all. I can't compete!"

Laughing, I ushered her into the driver's side, prompting her to get the engine started. God knows if the Chevy could even start, for it looked like it would fall apart at any second. Thankfully though, it purred happily and chugged along at a reasonable pace. Except for the fact that it didn't go a mile over fifty.

"My job doesn't pay well," she said at last, noticing how irritated I was with the speed limit. We had to stay in the right lane the whole way, which was extremely annoying. I was mad at the truck, not Bella. How could I ever be so mad with an angel? Pure, undying love did that to you – it made you oblivious to all but that special one. Everything had faults but not Bella.

Maybe it was my perception that was clouded that made me believe that she was faultless. Even if she tripped over her own feet lots of times, nothing could sway the amount of love that was pouring from my own chest!

"It's okay," I answered gruffly, wincing as I realized I gave away my distaste for her vehicle.

Bella cut in before I could cover up my tracks. "So, Jacob, tell me more about your, uh, wolf-ness…"

Yeah, you know, it's fantastic. I enjoy turning into an animal in a snap, exposing my personal secrets to the whole pack. It's great, Bella.

Other than that, I was about to implode from the tremendous stress of withholding the secret I so desperately wanted to tell her. I couldn't yet; it was too soon.

"It's different I guess. Liberating as the wind rushing by; the sense of freedom is awesome…"

I continued to drone on about the life of a Quileute teenage wolf, from the positives to the negatives. Hesitant to again mention imprinting, I was saved by the sight of the city off just the highway a bit. Port Angeles was sure beautiful at night; La Push couldn't compare.

"It's so pretty at night, isn't it Jake?" Bella asked, as if she could read my mind. She smiled to herself; that gorgeous smile beat Port Angeles by night!

"So remember the choices I gave you earlier?" I asked, pointing to an empty spot in the parking lot of the movie theater. "Bells, you were supposed to have chosen, right?"

Bella offered a shrug. "I don't know what I'm feeling up for. Not a cheesy, romantic, sappy chick flick."

"That helps," I replied, rolling my eyes. I was secretly glad she wouldn't be dragging me to one. An action-packed adventure sounded cool, or even a gory horror film. I wasn't even sure what Bella liked for genres, much less if she liked butter on her popcorn.

I pointed out the window to the side of the building, where various movie posters were hanging. "Check it out Bella. I think the scary one looks cool," I said, planting the idea in her head. It seemed to have worked, for Bella didn't protest immediately. She thought a moment and giggled. "Fine, we'll see that one then. I so wanted to see that chick flick though!"

I wrinkled my nose. "Well, now you can cut off the circulation in my arm!"

Outside the truck, Bella locked arms with me and continued to walk toward the entrance. Breaking the connection, I held the door for her instead.

"Thanks, Jake," she said smiling.

Following her inside, I glanced around for the stand where we could purchase our tickets. "Bells, I'm going to pay for the tickets –"

"- Jake, please. I can pay for them."

I shook my head. "But-"

Bella flashed two tickets in front of my face, for the scary movie we were about to see. Grinning, she explained how she bought them online beforehand. Choice words came to mind, but I refrained from saying them.

"You little sneak!" I exclaimed, tickling her side. She laughed and tried to push me away. "Let me buy the food at least," I offered, jogging over to the concession stand.

I was trying to be gentlemen-like, but I probably sounded like a hungry bear instead. Ever since my wolf transformation, my appetite grew ten times bigger. All the delicious food didn't help either!

"I'll take two large popcorns, with butter on top, two large drinks, one Coke and one Sprite, one pack of Skittles…" The counterperson raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't question my purchase. Paying accordingly after my food order was taken care of, I handed Bella her food when I met up with her. Her eyes widened with delight.

"I love butter on my popcorn! You're the best, Jake!" Bella said, skipping ahead into the theater after passing our tickets for admittance.

"I know," I called after her.

Picking two secluded seats in the back corner of the theater, it looked more like we were up to no good. Well, it wasn't too popular I guess, for a good majority of the place was empty.

"Damn, Bella! I can hardly see the screen from here!" I teased, causing Bella to scowl at me.

"Shut up, Jacob. The movie is starting now," she whispered, eating her bag of popcorn silently.

Eyes transfixed on the movie, I was having trouble doing just that. I wanted to stare at Bella and take in her beautiful face. Content with my food, I focused on the movie for now.

How boring and stupid it was! The characters themselves were the epitome of dumb. Yawning, I made the classical move on Bella – I put an arm around Bella's shoulders ever so casually. She merely shook her head and amused me for the time being. What I really wanted of course was to kiss her passionately.

When the really scary part came onscreen, Bella turned and buried her face into my shoulder. Tightening my arm around her, I made sure that she knew that I would always be there for her.

At the next part, though, it was even a bit too much for me. Bella turned pale and looked up with terrified eyes. "Jake, I'm not feeling that good," she said, weakly. I understood at once.

"Let's go, Bells," I said, helping her up and leading her out of the theater with an arm around her waist. Once outside, I held her hair if she wanted to puke. Anyways, I was sure fresh air would alleviate her sickness.

"Thanks, Jake," she said, plopping down on the sidewalk. I sat beside her, watching the stars become visible one by one. Passing the time, I told her a funny anecdote, resulting in us laughing loudly. People walking past us gave dirty looks, which made Bella and I laugh even harder.

When the end of a half hour came along, the sky was completely clear, with the full moon clearly visible. Bella stood and yawned, glancing upward at the night sky.

"You're not going to turn into a werewolf now, are you?" she asked, grinning. I returned a laugh. "Hopefully not."

Bella again laughed, fishing the car keys out of her jean pockets. "Good, because I'm in the mood for ice cream," she said, as my eyes lit up even more.

Climbing back into the truck, I was suddenly aware of how much I wanted to tell Bella that I loved her. No, Jacob; self-control man! It could wait. I was waiting for Sam's advice, to see how I could deal with Bella and imprinting.

Didn't I have that reassurance that she'd love me back, not refusing the undying attention from me? But somehow, I thought she might actually push me away, favoring that stupid leech.

It took another twenty minutes to find an ice cream parlor. Once there, we ordered at the outside window. I, of course, paid again for the food. "Small vanilla cone," Bella said, and received a look from me. She reconsidered her decision.

"Make that a medium vanilla cone with chocolate sprinkles instead," she recited, as if she had said it a million times before. "Happy now?" she asked, as she stepped aside to let me stand in front of the window. I smirked in response; she knew I thought that she was too thin.

"I'd like a large sundae, with everything on it," I said, reading the precise line from the menu. Paying next, we waited a couple minutes before we were served our cold desserts.

Instead of spilling ice cream in Bella's already dilapidated truck (what I thought of it, anyways), we sought out an empty table with an open umbrella at the center. That was certainly helpful at night.

"So, Bella," I said, in between bites, "I think we should play a little game of Truth or Dare. Two rounds each should do it." Her eyebrows were instantly raised, but her answer showed the completely opposite.

"Alright then. Truth or Dare, Jake?" she asked, with a smile. Damn, she was clever.

"Dare," I answered, wanting to get it over with. Plus, I couldn't be a "scaredy cat" in front of Bella. Here, Bella paused from her ice cream. Thinking, she seemed to have racked her entire brain for the stupid challenge she'd have me do. Finally her eyes revealed her conclusion – they seemed to be a deeper brown than I remembered.

"Okay, I've got one. I dare you to stand on this table and announce anything you want to the people around us," she said. "You're on, Bella!" I replied, closing the umbrella first and then clambering up on our table.

"Excuse me, everyone!" I proclaimed, causing a vast majority of the surrounding people to turn and stare at me. The rest just simply ignored the outburst. "I'd like to announce that Isabella Swan and I are getting married," I added, shooting Bella a grin that said it all. Loopholes were great; I had made Bella _more _embarrassed. She placed a hand over her face in horror.

The applause soon died, and I gave her a consoling hug. I did deserve the smirk she gave me. "Truth or Dare, Bella?" I grinned. "Truth," she said immediately.

"Alright, Bella," I said, scratching my chin, "what do you really think of me being a wolf?"

Bella stifled a laugh. "Really? That's all?" she asked. I almost answered, but realized at the last second that it was meant as a rhetorical question. "Truthfully, I thought you were kidding. I mean, I was relieved and all that you weren't mad at me. But...it's cool I guess. How many other people could say that their best friend is a werewolf?" she said, flashing a delicate smile. Oh, how I loved her even more for being so accepting of me!

"Thanks, Bella."

"Welcome. Truth or Dare, Jake?"

"Honey, it's time for the truth." Bella laughed at me.

"Why don't you like the – the – " she started to ask, but couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence. I knew precisely what she was looking for – those leeches. I spoke softly. "Can I, uh, explain later, Bella? Not now."

Bella nodded feverously.

"Besides, I promised your dad that I'd get you home by eleven. You still want to hang out with me, right?"

"Of course. Nothing could keep us apart, not even Charlie!"

I laughed nervously. "Let's go."

The trip back home was much quieter than the way up, but the lack of rest was finally catching up with me. I don't think Bella minded at all either. Once we reached the Swan residence, for I to pick up my motorcycle and head home, I walked Bella up to her front door.

"Thanks again, Jacob. I had lots of fun," Bella said, planting a kiss on my cheek (which I bent down a little so she didn't have to strain herself on her tippy-toes to reach my face). At that moment, my heart just about exploded out of my chest.

"Night, Bella," I said, watching her open the door.

Before she entered she added, "Don't tell Charlie or your dad we got engaged, alright?" I laughed and nodded. Bella closed the door behind her.

"Don't let the vampires bite," I whispered, putting on my bike helmet so I could head home.

* * *

**_Author's Note:  
_****_  
_**Alright! I apologize for the two month or so wait, but I had barely any time to continue this story. But I'm back in business, as I hope to be able to post the next chapter by next week! Just a couple notes I wanted to add about _Full Moon_.

First, I wanted to address my probable out of character for Jake. I realize that he'd probably tell Bella immediately about him imprinting on her, but I wanted to have him talk to Sam (and possibly Quil) about what's happening and whatnot. So I'm going to bring that in next chapter, as well as Jacob telling Bella at last.

Secondly, I wasn't sure if "sprinkles" was the correct way of addressing the sugary topping in Washington, as "sprinkles" and "jimmies" are used interchangeably where I live. Hopefully I've got it right.

Thirdly, I'd like to say that the title of the chapter is from the album by Panic! At the Disco (which is one of my favorite bands).

Lastly, I was just hoping to bring out the lighter side of Bella and Jacob's relationship. I hope it was enjoyable to read as it was enjoyable for me to write. Jacob isn't such a bad guy, you know. ; D

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned and review if you'd like! (:


	5. Let's Play Risk and See What Happens

Let's Play Risk and See What Happens

The light pouring into my room happened to strike me square in the eyes, blinding me as I opened them. Funny, considering the amount of light coming in at six o'clock in the morning…

Glancing over at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to my bed, it read eleven forty nine. Time to get up on this bright Wednesday morning! But when I finally got my mind back, the real time registered correctly.

"Damn it all to hell! Damn it! Dad!" I yelled, tripping over my bed sheets to try and get an explanation. Clearly I had overslept, and didn't go to school as a result. Though I didn't really know why I even cared in the first place. Did my dad really let me sleep in? Why would he now, when Monday and Tuesday morning he proceeded to wake me up?

"Dad!" I yelled again, after discovering that he wasn't even in the living room. Walking to the right, I found him eating lunch in the kitchen (for whatever reason he was home) nonchalantly. Asking why he had not got me up as nicely as I could, Billy merely blinked at me and laughed.

"I thought you wanted some sleep after your date with Bella," he replied. I groaned and covered my face in embarrassment.

"Dad! It wasn't a date! C'mon!" I said, poorly convincing him that it wasn't. He laughed again.

"Sam Uley told me earlier this week, Jacob," he said smiling. That was my cue to leave the house before my dad could embarrass me more.

Once fully dressed and showered, it was about one o'clock when I left the house. I flew down the narrow road with the wind rushing by – it was a wonderful feeling. The motorcycle glided smoothly along and slowed when the cliff approached ahead.

Dismounting, I spotted two participating cliff divers jumping off the edge. Looking over the edge now, the pair made their descent safely and were headed to shore. It reminded me of the time Bella thought the kids were committing suicide off this cliff. I laughed aloud – she was so naïve sometimes.

Here I further examined my possibilities of how to tell her. But my mind needed reassurance, which could only be found with Sam and my best friends. Both parties I had neglected much since I had devoted most of my free time with Bella.

Being the terrible friend I was, I eventually forgot my plan and hung out with Bella (doing whatever from watching movies to puddle-jumping). One week turned into two; the only contact I made with Quil and Embry was a brief time at school. Sam was too busy helping the Clearwaters and visiting Harry in the hospital. Nearly three weeks went by before my pals decided to intervene with my life and Bella Swan. I had shoved my jacket on over my clothes (rain was such a drag sometimes) as I went to close my front door. However, to my surprise, Quil and Embry were standing right in front of me. They looked worried equally; even this would shock most. Quil and Embry had to be two of the most upbeat people I had ever met. Quil was fidgeting awkwardly as he stood on the steps, making me wonder if he had something to hide from me.

"Hey guys," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Long time no see."

Embry nodded. "Yeah, no kidding Jacob! We thought you had forgotten us," he replied.

"Nah, of course not. I was just busy, you know?" I replied, weakly.

"With Bella?" asked Embry, howling with laughter. Quil joined in lightly. Wiping the rain drops off his jacket, he finally spoke at last.

"Can we talk, Jacob? Maybe even hang out if you're not 'busy'?" Quil asked, which smoothed out the scowl on my face. Plans with Bella could wait, right? I hadn't even called her to say that I was coming over.

"Yeah, yeah, come in guys," I said, beckoning them in. Embry filed in front of Quil, his eyes already scouring for food. Quil was more laidback and was searching for his favorite music station on the radio. The assorted bags of chips and snacks seemed to have satisfied my friends for the time being. We sat in the kitchen silently, letting the music fill in the background alongside the rustling of potato chip bags. Eventually I spoke first.

"Sorry guys, I've been a real jerk lately. I shouldn't have neglected you these past weeks," I said, as sincerely as possible. Apologizing wasn't exactly my strongpoint, so I hoped it would suffice. It appeared so – Embry cracked a smile and nudged me hard.

"Man, don't worry about it! We just thought you had changed or something. But hey, welcome back," replied Embry. Quil barely acknowledged the conversation, apparently deep in thought with his chips. Embry and I made up for lost time as our friend sat silent, which was completely abnormal for him. I tried to engage him in conversation but he simply shook his head. Finally, I had been complaining about not being able to talk to Sam, which sparked a look between Embry and Quil. Embry spoke first.

"There's another reason why Sam is staying at the hospital longer with Emily and her niece," said Embry, letting Quil speak his turn.

"What? What is it? Why?" I interrupted and asked, looking desperate to know. Quil _finally _spoke his turn.

"A couple weeks ago, Embry and I were visiting Sam's house to find out about the Clearwaters and what he wanted us to do for the pack. Emily had her niece, Claire, over for a small vacation in La Push. So when I entered and saw little Claire, I imprinted on her," Quil explained, smiling a little at the end.

"Sam went crazy and forbid Quil to return until he sorts out things with Emily," Embry added, making me even more surprised.

"Wow, that's great, uh, Quil! Going for the younger ones, eh? How young we talking?" I asked.

"She's four, Jacob," answered Quil, laughing. I didn't have a proper response to that.

"Ah, at least we're both having problems, right? I don't really feel ready to tell Bella yet," I said at last. Quil shrugged.

"The age difference for me is a little weird, but manageable when she grows up. But come on Jacob! You don't think Bella will like you back, even though her leech is gone and you hang out with her every day?" he replied, encouragingly. Embry nodded in complete agreement. He was trying to hold back a wise comment I could tell. One look silenced his tongue.

"Okay, I feel a little better. I think I'm still going to see Sam…"

"Good luck trying to find him. I mean, he could be at the hospital or the Clearwaters-"

"-or at his house…"

"Alright, alright, that helps. I'll find out where he is later. But we're still hanging out, right?" I asked, holding up the brand new video game my dad had purchased for me. It was the incentive that drove me to earn grades above the C plus range. Quil and Embry's eyes jumped simultaneously over to the cover, while Embry had the sense to snatch it away from my grasp. Placing the game disk in the tray, Embry sat back with the rest of us while I passed out the controllers.

The battle simulation placed Quil and Embry on one side – I happened to have a computer player as my ally (who was worse than Embry, if possible). Quil made it a point to personally stake out my ally to force me to emerge into the open. About sixty seven kills later, Quil broke the silence among the clatter of buttons and joysticks.

It sounded like he spoke in an afterthought, similar to having an epiphany. "The way Sam described imprinting to us made it seem all too easy, like it made finding our perfect match simpler. But it's much more difficult than that – there's always a catch. Sam lost Leah, you love a leech-lover Jacob, and I'm in love with a toddler," he said, causing the controller to slip from my grasp. Embry got the kill in my momentary distraction from the game.

"But it's all worth it in the end, right?" I replied, searching their faces to betray a clue.

Neither Quil nor Embry had the answer.

We finished the round in silence. Then Quil and Embry excused themselves because Sam's assignment for both of them was scheduled soon. Anyways, I needed to see Sam to talk about imprinting and patrolling (unfortunately). Saying our goodbyes and heading our separate ways, Quil turned suddenly and yelled something.

"Chin up, Jacob!" Easier said than done.

Nevertheless, I felt empowered to go see Sam now. Fumbling with the keys in the ignition, my Rabbit hadn't sounded so sweet to my ears. The engine purred gently as I put the car in drive and drove toward the Uley residence.

As I parked in their driveway, I was relieved to see both Sam and Emily's cars were home. So thankfully I had him cornered…

Walking up the step slowly, my eyes wandered to the window where the lights illuminated the curtains. Behind them, voices were chattering as I knocked eagerly on the front door. Instantly, the voices became hushed as I heard footsteps retrieve the door. There stood Sam with his mouth hanging open in surprise, more or less trying to comprehend why I was here. It wasn't often I came here alone.

"Can I come in, Sam?" I offered to help conversation along. Sam nodded.

"Of course," he replied, letting me enter past the screen door. To the right sat Emily and Claire in the living room. Emily smiled at me.

"Hello, Jacob," she said happily, as her niece bounced all around her.

"Hi Jay!" Claire squealed, settling her sparkling blue eyes on my face. Emily laughed and set her down on the couch.

"This is Claire, my niece," she introduced to me, although I needed none. The brown floppy curls trailed behind Claire as she attacked me with a hug.

"See Quil?" she asked, her eyes pleading with me.

"Yes I have. He wants to visit soon," I reassured her, shooting Sam an all knowing look. I honestly felt bad for Quil and Claire, especially since I could empathize with the pain. Often I was edgy whenever Bella and I were apart. But even Sam, whose niece was pulled into the werewolf legend forcibly, I could feel badly for. Maybe imprinting was more trouble than happiness.

"Let's talk, Jacob," said Sam at last, as affably as he could. Claire let go of my leg in favor of her dolls, leaving me to talk with him in the kitchen alone.

"So this is about Bella, huh?" he guessed, causing me to nod. "I know you won't believe me, but the best way to go about this is to tell her directly. Trust me, you'll feel much better and she can decide what she'll do about it. But think about it – who would deny a werewolf's attention?"

Bella, who's still in love with a leech (namely Edward Cullen).

I felt the confidence surge through me. "You're right, Sam. Thanks for the advice," I replied, cheerfully. Immediately his frame sagged and his eyes filled with relief. Clearly this had been one of many issues besides Quil and Harry that had been bothering him.

My eyes darted toward Claire as she tried to coerce me to play dolls with her. A sudden question bubbled out of me.

"So what about Claire? Quil? You can't do that to my best friend!" I said in spite of myself. Luckily Emily didn't hear.

The relief vanished from his eyes and instead worry took its place. "In due time, Jacob. We still have to work things out. And you realize as you get older, Quil will stay as young as he is now until Claire matches his age?" he replied solemnly.

It wasn't the answer I wanted. I did not want to hunt vampires anymore. I wanted to be the normal teenage boy with a typical life. No matter how hard I wished, it would never come true.

Sam was way too stressed to deal with me or any of this stuff. I walked away angrily but put on a smile for the girls. "Bye Claire, bye Emily," I said, waving gently. Without looking back, I was out the door and into the rain.

Looking up at the falling drops, I just knew I had to travel to Forks.

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

Time is my ally now. School is wrapping up for me so I can update more frequently. I won't have to make anymore excuses either! (:

So I figured I'd work on Jacob and Quil this chapter. Jacob needs support from his friends! And the next chapter will focus (somewhat) on Mr. Charlie Swan, father of Bella. How will he react to Jacob!?  
And headlines will make their debut later, bringing with them much more than ink on paper...

Stay tuned and review if you'd like!


	6. Vampires and Werewolves Aren't As Scary

Vampires and Werewolves Aren't As Scary As Compared  
To Fathers, Especially If That Father Was Charlie Swan

No one knew the meaning of scary until they met Charlie Swan. I, for one, was more terrified of him this night than the first day I met him.

Of course I had met Charlie and Bella when we were all younger. He wasn't particularly intimidating then, but he hadn't exactly been an experienced police chief. Those memories were fading faster than the lettering on my favorite t-shirt.

What I _did _know was that Charlie was the big bad police chief of Forks and that my dad was best friends with him. Go figure. That certainly helped when he found out that I was going to Bella's prom with her.

Neither one of our fathers could refuse it. Though I had the feeling that Charlie liked me better as a choice for Bella, it soon vanished as I appeared at the Swan residence with my tuxedo on. Charlie greeted me at the door with his shotgun slung over his shoulder.

"Come in, Jacob," he said, without smiling. I gulped, following him in like a nervous wreck. Did he really want to shoot me? Maybe after the prom, once Bella had her fun with me?

Charlie led us to the kitchen, motioning for me to sit across from him at the table. It was then that Charlie started cleaning the barrel as he began his careful interrogation. Was I in a movie or something? Didn't this happen to actors and not in real life? The thought made me fidget with the buttons of my jacket.

"So Jacob, what do you intend to do with my daughter at the dance?" Charlie asked, glancing up from his task. I hoped it wasn't a trick question or something.

"Eat dinner and dance, sir," I replied. Charlie laughed.

"What kind of dancing?"

"No grinding…maybe slow dancing."

"Hands above the waist at all time, right? I was a teenager once."

"Of course."

Charlie eyed me suspiciously, but he felt that I passed his little interrogation by placing the gun down. Since Bella wasn't ready yet, he decided to ask me another question.

"What are you going to do after the prom?"

Oh my god. Was he really asking me that? You know what, Charlie, I'll take her to Seattle. The current headline of the paper on the table read:

**Mass Mysterious Murders Rock Seattle**

_Seattle, WA -- Police still have no leads on any suspects behind the murders of three innocent civilians. The attacks are very random and occur at spontaneous times of the night. Multiple reports claim the crimes may be linked to --_

"I'll take Bella right home," I replied, causing Charlie to crack a smile.

"Good. I'll see you by midnight then," he replied. I nodded quickly, in case he suddenly decided to shoot me anyways.

Luckily, Bella came to save the day by saving me from this awkward situation. She walked into the kitchen with a beautiful smile gracing her face. I stood up automatically, as did Charlie to give her a hug.

"Have fun at the prom, Bella," he said, letting us leave without a lecture.

"Bye Charlie," she said, shutting the door behind us. I finally could talk to her without fearing Charlie. I wrapped an arm around Bella and walked her to the Rabbit.

"What, no limo?" she teased as I opened the door for her.

"Nope. Be glad that you have a chauffeur though!" I joked back.

The car ride went relatively well. Bella told me the directions to the function hall, since it was not in the town of Forks. In return, I told her the story about Charlie and how he almost shot me. Bella looked embarrassed most of all.

"He did not!" she exclaimed in horror.

"It's alright, Bella. I'm here, aren't I?" I grinned, squeezing Bella's hand gently. She appreciated the gesture.

"Turn right into the parking lot," she recited, as if she was a GPS device. I parked the Rabbit next to Angela and Eric's car, to the advice of Bella. Then I walked around to Bella's side and helped her out.

"I almost forgot!" I exclaimed, fishing the corsage out of my jacket pocket. Luckily it didn't get squashed on the way there.

"Thank you, Jake!" Bella said happily. I placed the yellow and white flowers around her wrist to complete her prom dress.

"Well, how do I look?" she asked, striking a pose for me.

Bella was breathtaking. The yellow dress she wore hugged her figure gently and tied in a halter style around her neck. It was certainly her color. Her hair was simple but elegant at the same time. Gentle curls fell loose past her shoulders, making her the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.

"You're stunning, Bella. Absolutely beautiful," I replied with a smile.

She thanked me for the compliment and linked her arms with mine, which was slightly difficult since I was taller than her. But I think she liked the warmth the most, no matter if it marked me as a wolf. Bella was already acquainted with the supernatural, so I'm sure she was over the fact that I was not one hundred percent human anymore.

"Are your friends from Forks High going to be here?" I asked, to make conversation before we headed inside to the function hall.

"Probably," she shrugged. "I haven't talked to them really in months."

Poor Bella. I could crush that stupid leech in my hands for what he did to my Bella. How could he leave her in the middle of the woods with a broken heart? I hoped that she could understand that I wanted to help heal her broken heart and start a new chapter without the vampires.

"Anyways, _you're _my date to the prom. I want _us_ to have fun, okay?"

"We will, I promise Bella."

The entrance to the place was rather narrow, probably no bigger than five people walking side by side. Many couples were already lining up to hand their tickets in to gain entrance to the prom. Other couples were later than us and stood in the now growing line.

Bella handed two tickets over to one of her teachers at Forks High. He gave me a look that wondered if I were really sixteen. My combined height over the last few months outmatched the average growth spurt of any teenager. Nevertheless, he let us pass into the room where the dancing and eating were taking place.

"Hey, Bells! We should go eat first!" I whined, causing her to laugh.

"Sure, Jake. Let's go," she replied, letting me guide her around all the tables and people to get to the buffet line.

The food was lined in a buffet style manner -- it was almost tempting to cut everyone. With the salad at the beginning of the table, the entrées were toward the end of the long table. And for sure, they did not escape my sight. I loaded my plate with some chicken, ziti, and broccoli among the salad and three dinner rolls already there. Bella simply laughed at my appetite as she took a bowl of salad and a single roll. Entering the function room once more, we were now stuck without a table to sit at. While I waited for Bella to make up her mind, I 'nibbled' on the pieces of chicken.

"Don't you have school friends?" I asked, after Bella discovered that there were no more available tables. She looked disdainfully at me. I shrugged and asked her why it bothered her so much.

"It's awkward since I haven't talked to them really!" she reiterated, even though I was sure she talked to them during school.

"Sure, Bella," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I'm sitting down either way, so I choose a table."

I looked over the crowd to spot the familiar faces. Almost half way across the room sat Bella's nauseous friend with the others.

"There's vomit boy over there. Let's go Bella!" I said, leading the way.

Amidst her worries, I (nevertheless) went over to the large table and saw that two seats were available. The table fit eight and Bella's friends took up six so the math was perfect. I stood near Mike and his date. He looked up surprised; probably since I had grew much since the movies.

"Can Bella and I sit here?" I asked, as they searched for the approaching Bella. They nodded and greeted their old friend.

I learned that Mike had taken Jessica as a date, that Angela and Eric were going out, and that Tyler brought his date from another school system. Wandering through conversations, I was soon bored when my plate was empty. Thankfully, Jessica saved the day when she alerted us that the dance floor was finally open.

It seemed like the females dragged the males to dance, but Bella did not move from her seat. "What's wrong, Bella?" I asked her. Bella shook her head.

"Last time at the prom, I was with --" she said, faltering. Oh, how well I knew that!

"Don't think about it, Bella. Please, this is supposed to be fun!" I said, trying to convince her. It seemed to have worked.

"Okay, Jake, but I'm warning you that I'm an awful dancer."

"That makes two of us, honey."

She smiled and led me toward her group of friends. They were already grinding to the fast song currently playing on the speakers. Bella looked at me expectantly, but I held my hand on her waist and kept her at arm's length.

"What's wrong, Jake?" she asked, with a frown on her face.

"Your father will kill me! I told him I wouldn't!"

"How will he find out?"

"I don't know, maybe he's the freaking police chief of Forks?"

"I don't know why you're worked up about this, you know."

"Maybe I don't want to get shot?"

Bella and I compromised on the matter. We would slow dance together, but would remain apart during fast songs. Sounded like a good deal to me!

The last song of the night was traditionally a slow one, so Bella and I decided to stay for it. I had to lift Bella off the floor so she could wrap her arms around my neck. We swung from side to side gently to the rhythm of the song.

"Thank you for tonight, Jacob. I really had fun for the first time in a while," Bella said, with a smile.

I was glad she was enjoying the night. She deserved it truly after months of despair -- and the time I had to break contact because of my transformation.

"You're welcome, Bella. I had fun too, except for wearing this tuxedo all night," I replied, with a grin.

Bella laughed. "To think, tonight was almost perfect!"

"I think I can fix that."

"Oh really--"

I closed the already short distance between our faces with all intentions of kissing Bella. I had imagined my first kiss would be very passionate, almost wild like my inner beast. But somehow, the kiss was much more tame. Bella did not yank back at first, but she was the one who ended it after the song was over.

Her beautiful brown eyes were filled with a mixture of relief and happiness. I hoped that this small action would prove to her that I really cared.

"It's perfect now," she said softly, as I let her down gently. I grinned with my purpose fulfilled -- all I had to do was to tell her that I had imprinted on her. Soon I would; before the night could end.

Bella clasped her hand in mine, walking beside me the whole way to the Rabbit. The hand holding continued the whole car ride (it wasn't really safe to drive with one hand but whatever). Once we returned to the Swan residence, I got out to carry Bella since it rained while we were out of town. I didn't want to get her expensive dress ruined or god forbid have her fall and break her ankle.

Didn't it look like a fairy-tale? But it wasn't; it was a horrible nightmare that none of us could escape from. Werewolf, vampire, or human alike.

I set her down outside the door. The lights were illuminated through the curtains in the windows, indicating that Charlie held fast to his interrogation threats. Bella looked thankful for carrying her, but we stood in an awkward silence for a few minutes.

Suddenly, as if an invisible force was working inside me, I asked her a question instead of the imprinting story. How stupid could I be?

"Bella, will you go out with me?" I asked, holding out another rose from my mother's rose bush.

She showed her thoughts through her facial expressions -- I was the conflict between her lost love and new love. At last I saw the triumph that dominated her features; that meant she knew she wanted to start a new chapter with me.

"Yes, Jake," Bella said, with a beautiful smile. She was about to kiss me, but settled for a hug as Charlie opened the door.

"Night, Jake," she said quickly, ducking around Charlie. I turned quickly as well, in case Charlie got his gun.

This would be Bella's new chapter -- I was her sun on a cloudy day and her full moon on a dark starless night.


	7. Extra, Extra! The Cullens Are Back!

Extra, Extra!  
The Cullens Are Back!

The beginning of June rolled around and unfortunately for me, I had school until the middle of the month. Bella was free for the summer but I was stuck in La Push's hell hole. Weekends were my completely free days, which were devoted to either Bella or Quil and Embry. Sometimes both, as this Saturday (today) was the day we'd take Bella cliff diving. I hung out at Bella's place until they were free to come, which could possibly take until noon.

In the meantime, I coerced Bella into making breakfast for the both of us. Even though I had to fetch some of the ingredients, it was still worth it. I got to learn how to make pancakes from scratch, believe it or not. With two older sisters that used to cook for me, I never bothered how to learn myself. And Bella could take their place any day…

Rachael was home for the summer as well. La Push was her refuge away from college. Though she hardly stayed long in the house or helped our father, I could hardly be mad at her. She was growing up much faster than I and was beginning to go off in her own direction. I longed for motherly attention. But of course, life sucked. My sisters were the closest thing to having a mother. So whenever I thought about them leaving, I always thought about my mother.

Thankfully, Bella could distract me from such thoughts. The same thoughts that made me guilty because I never truly knew her; I only had my father, sister (temporarily), and friends to guide me through life. Rebecca was too far away with her husband to be able to visit often. They used to come during Christmas, but money (or the lack thereof) caused them to stay in Hawaii and forget about us. I figured it was also the fact that Rebecca wanted to escape from the reality in La Push and she was the lucky one. It only got worse when I invited the guys over and Rachael was home.

In turn, I was allowed to beat up on Paul about his imprinting, which didn't go unnoticed. Paul and the guys had been hanging out innocently at my place when Rachael returned from hanging out with her own friends. Paul had been the only one to acknowledge her and unfortunately I had the pleasure of witnessing my friend imprinting on my sister. Sudden, unreasonable anger bubbled out of me. My fist connected with his nose with a sickening crunch. Noise and shouts ensued as Paul tried to retaliate.

"What the hell, Paul?" I yelled, being constrained by Quil.

"That hurt man!"

"Get over it. It'll be healed within a half hour."

A female voice interrupted the fray. Rachael was looking at me with a very mean expression.

"What's your problem, Jacob?" she said irately, crooning over Paul's injury. The blood seeped steadily from his nose, which formed a pool in his cupped hand. The attention had shifted to Rachael, who was receiving adoring eyes from Paul. She looked quizzically at him, but the emotions were described in so little words.

"I imprinted on you," he said, plastering a grin on his face. I wanted wipe that off his face as well. But the way Rachael smiled back; it seemed like she already knew what that meant. The rest of us who had imprinted, minus Embry and I, filled in any questions about it. Rachael's smile grew wider and wider until I couldn't take it anymore.

Perhaps it was the fact that I didn't want to let go of the only sister who visited the house. I didn't want her to move on, much like Rebecca and never visit our father and I. The house was growing quiet, except when the werewolves gathered. Again, imprinting was out of control of anyone. I couldn't stop Paul and Rachael from liking each other. So, I stormed away to think clearly.

That incident had only taken place on the weekend of Bella's prom. Since then, Paul took it that he could come over at any time and eat everything in the kitchen. Of course, I always tried to make plans so I wouldn't have to see them together. Paul and Rachael were very physical, as I walked into the living room numerous times to see them making out.

At Bella's place, I could escape that. Quil and Embry agreed to come over later, though they had a preference for staying away from vampire territory. They would distract me from that nightmare by enjoying a fun trip cliff diving in La Push.

It was quarter to noon and an overcast day. They needed to be heading here soon, considering that Bella's supposed breakfast was turning into brunch. I waited patiently until she had finished cooking so we could eat together. Taking a chair beside me, Bella picked at the plate in front of her. On the other hand, I was close to being half done.

"Bella, you nervous?" I asked, noticing she had since pushed the plate further away.

She slowly nodded. "Yes. It still seems like suicide to me. Have you gone jumping before, Jake?"

"It's not that high," I scoffed, trying to convince her it wasn't dangerous. "I have, but only a few times. Usually I can find better things to do, but if there's something you have to do before you die, this is it."

The first time I had ever gone cliff diving had been with Quil and Embry. Sam and Leah had agreed to watch us, since my father didn't want us to go unsupervised. Though they wouldn't be watching us from the beach, it gave us a little freedom (since we spurned our parents' chokehold) when we swam for shore. Sam promised that they would meet us on the beach afterward. As teenagers (well, if being twelve counted), we assumed that the two wanted alone time before they picked us up again.

I stood at the edge hesitantly, peering down at the water with a frown. Sure, it was a humid day. It was just the part about actually jumping that made me quiver at the knees. I wasn't about to admit it in front of my best friends, however. Yet, without a choice, my body lurched forward. My head turned quickly to see a smiling Quil and Embry ready to push him off. The falling felt like liberation again as I free fell until I met the surface of the water. Quil and Embry landed beside me (probably like twenty five feet away) on either side. It felt good on this humid day and looked forward to another opportunity to jump.

"Hey, Jake," Bella said, interrupting my thoughts. "Look at this headline!"

Bella held the recent edition of the _Seattle Times _to my face, which revealed the source of her surprise. The bold letter read: **Mysterious Murders on Stand Still**. A short summary of the article would be that the killings were significantly less than the past few weeks without explanation. Authorities were stumped, as were Bella and I.

"That's good news, right?" I replied, unsure how to respond to the article.

"I hope, anyway," she replied, tucking the newspaper under her plate. "Unfortunately, that seems like they haven't figured out who was behind it."

I growled instinctively. Protecting Bella was my first priority and all these things weren't helping. I had vampires to contend with; the threat of Victoria had not been extinguished. And, of course, Edward was out there…

Before Bella could ask me what was wrong, the door chimed loudly. It was none other than Quil and Embry, who were out of breath. Bella had opened the door while I checked my cell phone, which I had forgotten to turn on. Quil had caught his breath quicker than Embry.

"Jacob! You won't believe it! Harry Clearwater passed away this morning!" he said, a sad expression adorning his face.

It was difficult to face a death in La Push because it was small enough that everyone knew other. All of us had known the Clearwaters and it was sad to know that Leah and Seth had lost their father so young. Charlie, Billy, and Sue Clearwater had gone to visit him this morning. I couldn't believe it. Bella placed her hand on my shoulder to comfort my sudden silence and sadness.

"How's Leah and Seth?" I asked.

"Sam offered to pick Seth up, but Leah hasn't turned up," replied Embry, exchanging a worried look with Quil. "He thinks she phased but we don't know for sure."

Poor Leah most of all. First she lost Sam, and then she lost her father? I was starting to feel a little guilty for being mean to her.

Bella invited my friends in, talking to them while I headed back to the kitchen. The phone rang as I got there, so I picked it up instinctively.

"Hello?" I said.

"Is Charlie there?" the voice said. It sounded so familiar but I couldn't pinpoint the person.

"He's at the hospital, actually," I replied, truthfully.

"Is Bella there?"

"Yeah, hold on."

Clapping my hand over the receiver, I yelled Bella's name. She came in the kitchen momentarily with an inquiring look. I stuck the phone out for her to take.

"For you," I mouthed, and she took the phone hesitantly.

"Hello?"

Bella frowned. She repeated herself a couple times and hung the phone up.

"Seriously, Jake?"

"Seriously what, Bella?"

"There wasn't anyone on the other line!"

"Yes, there was!"

Quil interrupted our fight. "Can't you two lovebirds just get along for once?" he teased.

Bella flushed and I mouthed for him to shut up. I hadn't told her about imprinting yet, so we were still boyfriend and girlfriend.

"Think we should cancel the cliff diving excursion then?" asked Embry, looking at me expectantly.

"Probably," I admitted, casting a glance at the kitchen window. Rain. Typical.

"Why do you have to live in such a sucky town, Bella?" I said nonchalantly. I earned a punch to my arm from Bella (luckily she didn't break her hand).

"Well, at least the kids in Forks don't jump of cliffs for recreation."

Quil and Embry recited the whole 'burn' routine, even though it was a burn to them as well.

"Points for you," I muttered.

Conversation drifted for another half hour since it was decided that we weren't going to La Push on the news of Harry's death. The only break happened to be when Bella tilted her head toward the ceiling.

"Hear anything?" she asked us. The three of us listened carefully, catching a small vibration in our highly developed sense of hearing. I told Bella that we'd investigate and for her to stay downstairs. Of course, she refused and tagged along.

The source of the noise came from Bella's room, which was confirmed when her window was found open. The rain covered the window sill and the carpeting below. Bella hurried to shut it and looked mad.

"Anything missing?" I asked.

The three of us looked at her as she searched under her bed, in her closet, in her drawers, and her desk.

"Everything's here, except," she replied, pawing at her nightstand.

"Except?"

"My favorite red shirt! It's not here!"

Quil, Embry, and I exchanged similar looks. Something was fishy and if I didn't know any better, red was the favorite color of…

The door bell rang downstairs. At that moment, I smelled a horrible, bitter smell. It meant one thing: vampires.

"Bella!" I yelled, but she had already ran down the stairs to answer it.

As she opened it, no one had been standing on the threshold ringing the bell. On closer inspection, the smell was prevalent. Quil and Embry followed Bella and I on the steps. They flanked us on both sides, especially when four blurs became visible.

I held Bella protectively against me. Edward Cullen stood in the center, being flanked by Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper (why did I bother to learn their names?). The rain did not bother them, but I apparently bothered Edward.

The hostile look disappeared.

"Alice had a vision," said the smooth voice belonging to Edward.

Damn it.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

Believe it or not, four chapters to go!

Hope you enjoyed this last one, especially since the Cullens will be prevalent in the story now.

Ultimately, Jacob will be forced to tell Bella about imprinting on her and Edward will have to comment...

Stay tuned! C:


	8. Guess What Bella? Everyone Does Want You

Guess What Bella?  
Everyone Does Want You...  
You Know, Humans, Vampires, and Werewolves

"I don't give a damn what she saw," I said, holding Bella tighter to me. "Why are you all back? California too hot for you?"

A low growl escaped from Edward's lips, which curved into a noticeable smirk. I knew Edward didn't like me -- I didn't like him either. He couldn't come back on a whim and request Bella back. It didn't work that way. For all I knew, Edward could be lying.

"I'm not lying, dog," Edward said, reading my thoughts. This was going to be one long day.

"No wonder they smell so bad!" chimed Alice, meaning little harm. "Unfortunately, I can't see anything while I'm around you, which is probably a terrible thing."

"How would you know that?" Quil asked, more so in a curious nature.

"When we arrived in Forks, I stopped seeing the reason we decided to come back," she replied, nonchalantly.

Quil face palmed himself. It didn't really answer his question at all.

"I mean, how do you know we smell bad? Or basically what we are?" he asked.

"We smell bad to each other, which could only mean that you're werewolves. Also I couldn't help but notice that your noses wrinkled once you stepped outside. We both know the legends are true and to prove my point, your supernatural selves are blocking my ability," Alice replied, all in one breath. If she was even breathing, of course.

"Okay, so you've figured that out that much, but what's wrong? What did you 'see'?"

"It's very complicated, meaning it would take half a day to explain at least. Basically, Jasper has deduced that someone is building an army of newborns. I can't tell who's behind it, however. I've been getting flickers of the future as we neared Forks but no answers."

"Well, someone stole Bella's shirt recently. Does that help?"

"Did it smell?"

"Yeah, actually."

The four vampires turned to look at each other with confused expressions. Bella, Quil, Embry, and I looked on, growing nervous as well.

"It wouldn't make sense if it was the Volturi, since they don't condone this sort of behavior," suggested Carlisle, thinking of any possible suspects.

"True, Carlisle. I've been watching Italy recently and they haven't been doing anything so I doubt it's them," replied Alice.

"You're…suffocating…me…"

This came from Bella, which I hadn't realized since I had been listening to the conversation. I let go promptly. "Sorry," I murmured, and I let my thoughts wander by accident. Stupid mind reader.

"You did what, dog?" exclaimed Edward, lunging at me. He managed to latch onto my shirt and throw me seemingly across the yard.

"What did you do that for?" asked Bella angrily.

"He's lying to you," replied Edward, as I picked myself up.

"I'm not lying to her!" I shot back in my defense.

"Here we go," said Embry, shaking his head.

"What? Am I missing something here?" asked Bella, turning toward my best friends.

"Well, we know. I don't know how much Jacob has told you, but besides sharing our thoughts to the entire pack, we can also imprint," said Quil.

"Imprint? How so?" declared the winner of the golden onion.

"Tell her," he said.

I shot a disdainful look toward Edward before replying. Taking Bella's hands, I sighed. "When werewolves imprint on someone, it means that they have found their soul mate. The one person they want to spend the rest of their life with; the one they truly love. It's happened to most of us, including myself. Bella, I imprinted on you. I love you unconditionally."

It felt better to get it off of my chest, but Edward's growling ruined the moment. Mixed reactions came from the vampires, werewolves (although they already knew), and Bella. She stood gaping at me, glancing every so often back to Edward.

"There's no strings attached, Bella. You don't have to love me. But if you choose me, I'll make sure to always love and care for you for the rest of my life. I promise," I added, trying to lessen the amount of pressure on her behalf.

"I have to think about this, Jake. I'm sorry, it's just a lot to take in at once," she replied, with a sad smile.

I nodded. I could understand it, considering that I had sprung it on her. Edward must have heard my thoughts about ripping his throat out, seeing as the smirk grew wider on his face.

"Do I have to leave Forks?" asked Bella firmly, trying to make any sense of the situation.

"Yes, well, sort of. The newborns are in Seattle, but apparently one stole something of yours, am I correct?" said Alice.

Bella nodded. "So they could trace me to Forks."

Jasper spoke this time. "A fight is inevitable. To take on about twenty newborns--"

"Twenty!?" I exclaimed.

"Yes. I was going to say that since the seven of us aren't that powerful enough for twenty that we want an alliance with you werewolves."

"No way, leeches!"

"Your treaty is not bound to just us. _Any_ vampire that threatens human lives is in violation of it. Bella is in danger and we cannot fight twenty alone," interrupted Carlisle.

"Why do you care so much for Bella now?" I asked, truly interested in what they had to say. Edward answered for all of them.

"I have to atone for my mistakes and actions," he said simply, his topaz eyes flashing to Bella. Looking toward Quil and Embry for suggestions, Quil held up eight fingers.

"There are eight of us wolves," he said, grimly. "That leaves five unmatched, and more if some of us protect Bella."

"Yes, that's a bit of a problem. It increases our chances, however," Carlisle said, frowning. "Jasper and I can probably double up."

Jasper nodded. "I don't want Alice to fight either--"

"Of course I do!" complained Alice, but Jasper would hear none of it.

I was going to listen in, but Embry tapped me on the shoulder. He held out his cell phone to me. "It's Sam. Forget to turn on your cell phone on again?" he said.

I took it and shrugged. "I guess so. Should I mention this to him?" I asked.

Quil and Embry nodded. The vampires agreed with them as well. Holding the phone to my ear, I looked at the ground to distract me from everyone staring at me.

"What's wrong?"

"How would you know that anything's wrong?"

"Trust me."

"Tell me."

"You know Collin and Brady? They transformed too."

"You're kidding me. Well, you're right. The Cullens are back."

"What? Why?"

"To warn Bella that an army of newborns are after her?"

"Newborns?"

"What are newborns?" I asked the group of Cullens, clapping my hand over the receiver.

"I'll talk to Sam, Jacob," said Carlisle, in a calm tone. Reluctantly, I obeyed and tossed the phone to the eldest vampire.

Bella, in the meantime, had sat on the steps. Even though it was raining, she refused to sit under the cover of the door. My eyes flickered over to Jasper, who had gulped too loudly. It was unnaturally loud.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Jasper apologized, although I wasn't so sure what it was for. Bella looked up and gave him a curt nod for acknowledgement.

Luckily, Embry's cell phone hadn't shorted out by the time Carlisle and Sam were done talking. He tossed the phone back and smiled.

"We're going to fight. All of us; vampires and werewolves," announced Carlisle.

"Collin and Brady are wolves too," I commented, giving Embry his cell phone.

"Really? Poor kids. They're not even in high school, are they?" replied Embry, shaking his head. They were much too young.

"So, what are newborns?" Quil asked.

"Newly transformed vampires that are very unstable with their thirst," Jasper replied.

"When will this take place?" asked Bella, frowning.

"This weekend. They'll be here quickly from Seattle," said Alice, somewhat cheerfully. They seemed to want to fight. Even though the main adversary was still unnamed… there was no way twenty newborns wanted to kill Bella for the hell of it.

Embry grumbled. "It's still seventeen to twenty."

"Their numbers change every day," commented Alice.

Like that provided any comfort. The issue to resolve now was where to keep Bella during the fight.

"Not La Push, dog," Edward said, at last.

"Stop doing that!" I exclaimed, irritably.

"Where to keep me, right?" Bella asked. Edward nodded.

"Not in Forks, obviously."

"The clearing? That way the newborns will be attracted to her scent and we'll ambush them there?" suggested Jasper.

"That's dangerous, Jasper! She needs to be far away!"

"How else will we get the newborns to the clearing?"

"Why the clearing?"

"It's in Alice's vision!"

"Hey!" I shouted, grabbing their attention. It turned to face the mountains where I had been previously staring. "Why don't we keep her there?"

"Too dangerous, dog."

"No, they won't know she's there. We'll set up a false trail in the clearing!"

"How? Her scent is strong."

"Wait, don't I smell bad to you guys?"

Alice smiled. "You can mask her scent! Let's give it a try!" she said, twirling about.

Carlisle liked the idea; Edward and Jasper reluctantly agreed.

"May I carry you?" I asked Bella, offering out a hand for her to take. She eventually too it and I carried her to the back of the house.

"Are you scared, Jacob?" Bella asked, all of the sudden.

"No, not really, Bella," I replied, beginning to head back to the front of her house.

We returned to the group. I placed Bella down and nodded for them to try it out. Four blurs disappeared and reappeared in a blink of an eye.

"It works!" exclaimed Alice. "We could hardly tell she was there!"

"You had to smell the dirt to tell," said Jasper.

"Jacob and Edward, you will accompany Bella to the mountains. Quil and Embry, you will meet Sam and the rest of us at the clearing tomorrow morning," said Carlisle, appeasing all but one.

"I thought you said the weekend!" Bella said, feeling betrayed.

"Tomorrow sounds too dreary, Bella," said Alice, nodding.

"Fine, whatever. I'm going to bed!" Bella exclaimed, the door slamming behind her. I think she just didn't want to face the reality of the situation. However, we decided that she'd be safe at the house until tomorrow morning.

"At three in the afternoon?" Quil questioned, joining in laughter with Embry. I smirked.

"Tomorrow, we fight!" Alice said, providing closure to this meeting. The four blurs disappeared but not before Edward gave me a look that could kill.

"Let's go, guys," I said, sighing.

-x-

I waited for Bella outside, after avoiding Charlie. Whatever the excuse Bella gave him, I didn't want to have to confirm. Once Bella had lugged her stuff outside, I put it on my back and offered to carry her.

She mumbled and reluctantly let me carry her. I was starting to think that she had started to like Edward again. Damn.

Walking to the mountains had taken longer than I had expected, but since Sam had called saying that Alice saw (in the solitude of the Cullen home) that the newborns would be here tomorrow, I took my time. Bella and I really didn't talk on the way up, considering that it was grave indeed.

Once we had reached the mountains I had to rock hop with Bella and her bag. Somewhat difficult, but I managed. It got colder definitely and the clouds overhead looked ominous.

"The battle's been postponed, Bella," I said, seeing the tent in the distance.

"Great," she muttered sarcastically, shivering a little.

"We're almost there."

No reply. Great. Sullen Bella was not the best friend I loved the most. Guessing that it was her time of the month, I couldn't really blame her for being so moody. Luckily, we got to the tent and I set Bella down.

"Quick, get in before the storm comes," I said, firmly. "Edward is already in there."

I didn't need to be a mind reader to know that. Bella obeyed, giving a quick nod before setting up her sleeping bag.

"Sleeping, already?" I complained, shutting the tent flap quickly.

"Yep. I'm tired. Night," she replied. Curling up and closing her eyes. I checked my phone. No service, but the time read six o'clock. Wow, I walked slowly.

I couldn't help but notice how Edward stared at her. I wasn't ready to go to bed yet and Edward didn't even need to sleep. Lucky leech.

"That's creepy, you know."

"Shut up, dog."

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

I wasn't too satisfied with this chapter, considering since I had plan around the fact that the Cullens weren't around. Hopefully it makes sense and it leads up to the battle, which is the next chapter. I wrote the last two, since I decided to combine the last two chapters I had planned. I hope to type them this week and post 'em. Stay tuned! C:


	9. This Isn't Some Videogame It's Real Life

This Isn't Some Videogame  
It's Real Life

My dreams were private -- I had hoped -- and got me through the long night. Bella had awoken in the middle of the storm, complaining of cold. Since I ran at an oh so toasty one hundred and eight degrees, I was the perfect _wolf_ for the job. A grin crossed my features as I looked toward Edward. Grudgingly, he let me tend to Bella's complaints. Hell, I wasn't going to complain! I could piss the leech off _and_ spoon with Bella at the same time.

"Enjoy it, Jacob, while it lasts," Edward said, smirking. I wondered if it could freeze on his face.

"I'm not an ice cube, you dunce," he added.

"You know, if all you're going to do is berate me, then you might as well leave Bella and I alone," I replied, in a whisper.

"Sleep well, wolf," Edward replied, in a whisper as well. Bella had fallen asleep and I would soon follow. My dreams got me through the night as I mentioned before, considering the abrupt wake-up call I received. It was not worth it.

"Hey!" I shouted, as my back had touched the icy cold floor. Seemingly burning my one hundred and eight degree back, I instinctively rolled back onto the sleeping bag -- and onto Bella. Next thing I knew, I was flying in the air (again) and into one of the tent poles. "What the hell?" I yelled, gathering my wits and strength.

"You almost killed Bella!" he growled back, shortening the gap between us. If not for Bella, I would have ripped his icy skin into pieces.

"You're an immature… one hundred year old!"

"Well, you're an immature sixteen year old, wolf."

Bella's hand extended to both our chests, seemingly cooling our fight. "Stop it, you two!" Bella said, now turning on Edward. "You should apologize to Jacob."

"Why? He almost killed you," he replied smoothly.

"You dumped him out!" she replied. "And he didn't even hurt me!"

Edward grimaced. "I'm sorry, dog," he apologized, with a groan to go along.

"Whatever," I said indifferently, yawning.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, noticing my yawn.

"Not between Bella talking in her sleep or the thought of you staring at us, no."

"I'm glad you really enjoyed it last night, though."

My jaw tightened. I knew would be safe with Edward. No matter how much I wanted to stay, I knew it was more dangerous if I argued with the leech. No longer could I stand putting up with him. Bella noticed my conflicting thoughts immediately.

"What's wrong, Jacob?" she asked. Besides the fact that I was going to fight vampires probably and content with her ex-boyfriend, the leech?

"I'm just tired, that's all. I need to talk to Sam anyway," I replied, yawning. Edward saw through the façade, giving me a mocking smile.

"Please stay, Jacob," she said, with pleading eyes.

I shook my head. "I can't Bella. I need all the rest I can get. You'll be safe…here."

Bella's face fell. "I thought you cared about me."

"Bella, I do! I really do!"

"Then why won't you stay?"

"Because of him!"

My imprinting had really screwed my feelings, especially since the leech made them seem to evaporate into thin air. I wanted Bella to be safe, but it seemed like she was safer with him.

Bella frowned naturally. No longer could I look into her beautiful brown eyes. It was Edward's fault as well! Why did he want Bella back? He had left her alone in the woods and now he wanted her back! Not without a fight! I, Jacob, wanted Bella Swan's heart. Crap, he probably listened to that entire tirade.

"Bella, please. If you loved me, you'd understand. I'll meet you later, I promise," I replied, with a nod.

A sad smile dominated her features. Bella managed to give me a weak good-bye before I left the tent.

Seth Clearwater was waiting outside. I liked the kid. Seth was always so positive and happy-go-lucky; it spread to the other pack members. Unlike his sister, Seth was always welcomed to the pack meetings.

"Take care of Bella, will you?" I said, shaking my head. I couldn't believe that I had walked out like that!

"Of course, Jacob," replied Seth, with a reassuring smile.

Content to leave, I made my way down the trail and back to the clearing where the pack and Cullens would be. A decent chunk of time was taken up by my slow descent. Needing time to straighten out my thoughts, the walk eased my mind somewhat. I still had doubts about leaving Bella with Edward and Seth, but it had to be the right thing. As much as I missed her, I had to put faith in the fact that she'd be safe in the mountains. Eventually, I saw my human pack members scattered among the Cullens. Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett had come along this time, with Rosalie greeting me with a smirk.

"Is he one of you?" she asked to Sam, with him confirming my status as a wolf. "Shame, I would have enjoyed ripping you to shreds."

"Shut the hell up, Blondie," I replied, growling.

"You can't tell my wife what to do!" shouted Emmett, puffing up like an idiot. Quil and Embry flocked to my side immediately with their teeth bared. Rosalie and Emmett bared their fangs as well. Sam and Carlisle interrupted our fray with some common sense.

"Calm down, Emmett," said Carlisle, firmly. "Alice suspects that the newborns will be here in ten minutes, but she can't exactly tell. My advice for all of you is to prepare for battle."

Great. I was stuck here fighting while Bella was in mountains.

All of us groaned, excluding Carlisle and Sam. Sam called us in for a quick pack meeting before we engaged in battle. We had experience with killing vampires, like Laurent. It was a matter of battling a vampire on our own; we were outnumbered as it was. It was nine wolves and six vampires against twenty newborn vampires. Awesome.

The eight of us surrounded our pack leader, and even Leah was paying attention. Sam gave us our assignments and positions so we knew what we were doing.

"Quil, Embry, and Jacob, you'll watch the north," said Sam, giving me a curt nod. "Paul, Jared, and Leah, you'll be stationed in the east. Brady and Collin, you'll be with me in the west."

"Who's watching the south?" I asked. Which _vampires_ I meant.

"Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett are. The ladies will split up and join one of our groups," Sam replied. None of us protested. It was final and no amount of protesting would change anything. With everything set, we split up into our respected groups. Quil, Embry, and I transformed into wolves on the way north. When we arrived, Alice was already waiting. Acknowledging her as best as I could as a wolf, I sat among my friends in a brief moment of silence.

_How much longer, Jacob?_

That was Quil. I whined at Alice, hoping she'd understand what I wanted.

"Five minutes," she replied, glancing south every so often.

Five minutes was the equivalent of eternity. Nervousness reigned through my body as it naturally would. I had no idea if my friends (that were like family) or Bella would be alright. I didn't know if the Cullens were going to be alright. Even Alice couldn't tell if we would survive the fight.

_This is taking forever!_

_You're kidding me, Embry._

_I'm not kidding you, Quil._

_Why are you even excited?_

_We can use of gaming skills. Well, strategy. Same thing._

_True…_

_Are you kidding me?_

_We are not kidding you, Jacob._

_Don't you care about the repercussions?_

_Twenty dead vampires? Sure._

_You two are impossible!_

_Chill, Jacob. It's going to be alright. We can take them._

_I sure hope so._

Alice growled at that moment. A low hiss followed, causing the three of us to get to our four legs at once.

"They're here," she said, turning her head slightly. Five vampires with blood red eyes appeared momentarily. Their jaws tightened as the lead one stepped forward.

"Where's the girl?" he demanded, looking at us warily. "We smell her scent so--"

The vampire had been cut off due to Alice pouncing on him and ripping his body to shreds. The other four lunged forward, causing me to howl to alert Sam that it had begun. Quil and Embry fought them off in front of Alice, letting her finish her work before joining. Two other cries told me that the other newborns had arrived. Jumping into the fray, I managed to rip off an arm. That one screamed in pain, while the arm seemingly writhed on the ground. Making short work of the arm, I turned toward the armless vampire and sunk my teeth into his shoulder. Ripping him into shreds did feel good, even if there were three vampires to go. Quil and Embry had ganged up on another, leaving Alice and I to fight the last two. Unfortunately, the girl one headed straight for Embry.

_Embry!_

It was too late. The girl vampire swiped her hand against his side, throwing him off her fallen comrade. He was already dead so she wasted no time in going after Embry.

_Like hell she will!_

Running as fast as I could, I lunged forward and landed against the leech's back, sending her hard toward the ground. My claws sank into her back, pinning her forcibly against the dirt.

_Thanks, Jacob._

Quil and Embry took the one vampire that was left, and I let Alice do the honors of ripping the head off. She did so with a sickening crunch. Five bodies in all lay in small piles of decimated body parts. Alice, with her impish grin, kicked a chunk of marble skin away from her foot.

"Good fight, guys," she said. "Let's join the others, shall we?"

Alice ran off toward the south, while the three of us decided where to check.

_Split up, I'm guessing?_

_Yeah, sounds good. I'll go to Paul, Jared and Leah. You two go help Sam, Brady, and Collin._

Quil and Embry agreed, hurrying off to the west. Brady and Collin were the newest members to the pack, therefore the most inexperienced. My friends would help balance the scale in the west.

I headed to the east to join the older wolves. Paul, Jared, and Leah were fighting a single vampire when I arrived. Rosalie was sitting against a tree looking at her fingernails, which made me instinctively angry. Growing at her, she simply rolled her eyes.

"I already fought my share, mongrel," she said, smirking.

Paul and Jared celebrated their victory with loud howls of delight, while Leah was off stalking something. I heard her growl, even causing the self-absorbed Rosalie to turn. However, the growl had come from a lone vampire. A newborn.

Leah tried to engage the newborn in battle, but she was soon overpowered. The vampire had grabbed Leah by the mid-section and threw her against the nearest tree. She whimpered and staggered as she struggled to get up. I placed myself in between her and the vampire as he began to charge forward. He laughed as I snarled.

"Brave, but not strong enough!" he said, lunging.

Pushing Leah out of the way, I had left no time for myself to escape. The newborn had wrapped his cold arms around me, dragging my helpless body along with him. He threw the right side of my body against the same tree, but with enough force to shatter my bones. Pain shot through my entire right side; I fell limp to the ground whimpering. My eyes had closed when Paul, Jared, and Sam had come to my rescue. Blackness consumed my vision, but the pain was still prevalent.

_Jacob!_

I just wanted pain killers, a splint or cast, and sleep. Remembering nothing but Sam coaxing me into becoming a human again, I felt my form change. The pain was still the same, but my mind found rest. I could not feel pain.

-x-

The next day found me lying in bed in my room in La Push. Moving my head without my body following, I read the large green numbers on my alarm clock: two thirty seven in the afternoon. I had slept through most of the day and I was awake with nothing to do.

My eyes wandered to the ceiling, which provided me little entertainment. The cracks only made a few shapes and I wanted the television in my room. Sudden pain shot through my legs and head, causing me to cry out in pain. As if on cue, Carlisle had knocked on the door. With various pill bottles in his hands, he chose to sit in the chair next to my bed.

"The pain medication had worn off, hasn't it?" he asked.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," I replied, muttering. He seemed to have not noticed.

Carlisle gave me two sets of different pills. There were four in all I had to take.

"Since I haven't worked on a part human part werewolf before, I'm merely calculating the amount of pain medication you'll need," he added, placing them in my palm. "Talk to your father if you are feeling any pain. I have to check on Jasper."

"Bye," I said, watching him leave. Eagerly taking the pills, I awaited the pain in my legs to subside. My next form of entertainment appeared in the form of Quil, Embry, and Leah. Embry had pushed Quil into the door and in turn Leah pushed Embry into Quil and rolled her eyes.

"Jacob!" exclaimed Quil, snagging the chair before anyone else. "Glad to see that you're not swearing," he said, grinning.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"The amount of colorful language you used yesterday -- wow!" said Embry, laughing. He clapped his hand onto my right leg to steady himself by accident.

"Ow, you stupid idiot!" I yelled, making Embry flinch.

"Sorry," he muttered, looking sorry.

"No...harm," I replied, biting my lower lip.

"Anyway, Jacob," Leah interrupted, pulling Embry away. "I came here to apologize and thank you for what you did."

"Go on, Leah," said Quil, grinning.

Shooting him a look, Leah's sharp eyes returned to me. "I'm sorry that I went after that vampire alone. I wanted to prove myself but I'm not that strong. So, thank you for saving me and sacrificing your entire right side for me."

That must have been difficult for her, but I took it in great stride. "Thanks and you're welcome," I replied. "Are you alright though?"

She nodded. "Just some bruises long my ribs," she said, lifting her shirt enough so we could see the black and blue spots running down her side.

"No need to take your shirt off for Jacob, Leah," Embry said, with a grin. She turned on him quickly and chased him out the door. Quil just shook his head.

"Get better, man," Quil said, getting up from the chair.

"I'll try," I said.

As Quil reached the door, I asked him about the one thing he missed the most. "What about Claire?" I asked, causing Quil to crack a smile.

"She's great. Sam let me over yesterday. He hasn't guaranteed me another visit however," he replied. I nodded.

With that, I was alone again. Until Bella came, of course. She opened the door hesitantly with worry written all over her face.

"Jacob?" she said, setting her beautiful brown eyes on me.

"Yes, Bella?" I replied.

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."


	10. Happy Endings Do Come True, Just Like

Happy Endings Do Come True,  
Just Like Disney Movies

I beckoned Bella over to the chair beside me with my left arm, which was difficult since I was born right-handed. Hopefully my werewolf skills would pay off. Being stuck in a bed was not fun at all.

"I was so worried, Jake. They told me what happened," Bella said, her face showing seriousness.

"I'm alright," I said, reassuring her with a smile. However, I hoped that she hadn't talked to any of my friends about it. They were notorious for construing important details.

"How are you feeling though?"

"Could be better. Dr. Cullen drugged me up so I should be pain-free for the next couple days."

Bella laughed a little. "He usually works on _human_ patients."

"Yeah, well, I'm _part_ human. Oh well. So long as I'm not in any pain, it's all good."

Silence lapsed between us, but I wanted to know how her stay with the leech and Seth went. Most of all, I wanted to know if she would love me as much as I loved her.

"How were the mountains?" I asked, nonchalantly. She sighed.

"Remember Victoria? Yeah, she found us in the mountains. She had built the army of newborns to kill me, but she hadn't planned on the wolves or the Cullens. This male vampire she had lured in, named Riley, thought that she loved him. Even though this had been waged in the name of James, Riley believed her. Seth decided to fight Riley, which actually was a fair fight. Seth, of course, won. Edward took on Victoria himself, destroying her as well. It was gross, but now I'm safe. No more Victoria."

I listened to her tale, which didn't comfort me too much. Though everyone was okay, including Bella, I still was convinced that Edward wanted her. A frown automatically appeared on my face.

"I'm glad you're okay, Bella," I replied, nodding. Feeling guilty, I knew I had walked away from Bella for the wrong reason. I missed a good fight and wound up hurting myself.

"What's wrong?" asked Bella, noticing my facial features.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I feel really guilty for leaving the tent. The tent pole really hurt and I couldn't stand Edward anymore," I replied, sighing. Such was a weak excuse.

"I know, I know. I love both of you and it's going to be hard to let go of one of you," she replied, with a sad smile.

"Well, I haven't rescinded my offer yet," I said.

"Yes, well, I hope you weren't mad at me for not deciding. When I saw Edward, some of the old feelings rushed back. Call me a bad person for it, but I never expected you to imprint on me. It's flattering, yes, but I have a decision to make."

"Have you decided?"

"Yes."

"And?"

Bella didn't respond right away. Her eyes traveled to the floor briefly before they met mine. "I want you, Jacob. We've been through so much together and I would be stupid to not pick you. You've shown me the sun during the rain and my heart feels whole whenever I'm around you, Jake. I love you," she said, seemingly emptying her heart out. I was stunned; I couldn't believe that she had chosen me over the leech! My heart swelled with even more adoration for Bella. Well, secretly I thought she'd always choose me.

"I love you too, Bella," I replied, staring into her eyes. "Let me prove it," I added. She waited for me to elaborate, but I merely pointed to the bracelet on the table. Meaning to give it to her once I had revealed my imprinting, I wanted to show her that I truly did love her. The bracelet she had picked up and slipped around her wrist was the Quileute version of a promise ring. It was my promise to marry Bella when the time came.

"It's beautiful, Jacob," she said, admiring it from her wrist.

"Well, thanks. It's the Quileute version of a promise ring, you know," I replied, smiling.

Bella smiled back, letting it rest against her wrist. She pondered it for a while, but a content countenance soon crossed her features.

"Look, Jacob. I'm willing to wear it, but I don't want to be one of those girls who get pregnant and/or married right out of high school. This is great and all, but I want to take this slow. Is that okay?" she said, seriously.

"Of course, Bella. Anything for you," I said, just as serious.

I wanted nothing more than to make Bella happy. If she wanted to take our relationship slow, then so be it. My sisters raised me with manners (minus the swearing) and values. Yes, I wanted Bella to go to college even though she'd be far away. I wanted her to accomplish her goals without me hindering her. Whenever she was ready to settle down, I'd be ready too.

"Thanks, Jacob. It means a lot to me," she replied, smiling. I squeezed her hand, giving her assurance without words.

The next few days kept me confined to my bed, but thankfully I had made a full recovery thanks to Dr. Cullen. Bella and I made plans for a picnic in Forks on a rare sunny day, but we got an unexpected visitor: Edward Cullen.

"Edward," I said indifferently, with a curt nod.

"Jacob," he replied, with no trace of a frown or smirk.

Seeing Edward was less than enjoyable, but I hadn't thanked him for protecting Bella. Even as stubborn as I was, I couldn't go without saying it.

"I can't thank you enough for protecting Bella from Victoria," I said, honestly.

Edward nodded. "Thank you for protecting and caring for Bella. You gave her the life I wanted her to have."

Surprised, I couldn't even manage a word. Bella nudged my ribs to reanimate me. Before I knew it, I had stretched out my arm to offer him a handshake. At last, our difference had come to an end. Edward shook my hand and even Bella smiled. He turned his eyes toward her and offered her a smile.

"Bye Bella," he said, raking a hand through his bronze hair.

"Bye Edward," she replied, running toward Edward and giving him a hug.

Apparently, the Cullens were leaving Forks for the time being. The future would even escape Alice, and the pieces had to fall where they may. Edward gave us both a last look before disappearing into the trees.

"That was very mature of you, Jake," said Bella, clasping my hand. Her fingers slid between mine and we swayed our hands gently as we walked.

"Well, thanks Bella. I'm not as immature as you think," I replied, grinning.

"You're not as funny as _you_ think," Bella said, laughing.

"Oh, really?"

I let go of Bella to start tickling her on her sides. She laughed and tried to shoo me away, but I ended up picking her up by her waist and twirling her in the air. Stopping gradually, we both smiled at each other and looked into each other's eyes. I knew that Bella was the one. Leaning toward each other, we shared a kiss that lasted an eternity -- well, maybe a solid five minutes.

-Epilogue-

It's been ten years. Not much is known about the Cullens, especially since they only come back to Forks ever five years. It's thought that they move around Alaska and Canada while they are away from the rainy town. Edward usually visits Bella for a day, catching up on life. I think it keeps them both on track. The other Cullens tend to stay at the house as the wildlife seems to significantly decrease without warning. No additions have been made to their family as of now, keeping the number steady at seven. I can't imagine Edward not finding another vampire of interest, but he has an eternity to look for her. Bella misses them, of course. Even with the long periods of them between smelling Bella's scent, the Cullens keep control. Our pack has more or less allied with them, ending all previous prejudices and tensions.

Sam and Emily still live in their house, although they are ten years older. He hasn't retired from pack leader, but the chances of engaging with vampires again are slim. Emily still bears the marks of Sam's anger, but she's one hell of a cook still. I visit from time to time when I get the chance. Quil and Claire are usually over, although the cute four year old I had met was now fourteen and very much a teenager. Luckily, she was much nicer than Leah at her age. They deserved each other; Quil was going to give her the choice and bracelet when she turned seventeen. A sad smile would always adorn my face; I would be thirteen years older than Quil, provided that Claire chose him. We'd always remain friends, even if he spent most of his days with Claire now.

Paul and Jared are happily married to Rachael and Kim, respectively. Both have consequently moved out of La Push, which seemed to upset some of the elders. Happy for them (even though Paul was now my brother-in-law) despite their departure to Seattle and Olympia, they managed to visit us every so often.

Leah and Embry have also found love; they fell in love with each other. They are merely dating, having numerous break-ups along the road. Whether or not they make it in the future, I do know that Leah is finally happy and over Sam. Embry is very much a part of our trio, even though he aged as well (catching up to Leah, of course). Quil and I have an ongoing bet; fifty bucks to Quil if they get married. Sorry Leah, but I still like you I swear.

Leah has also become much closer with Bella. They are very much friends and it's nice to finally see them getting along.

Rebecca has continued to live in Hawaii with her husband. The only time I saw her in the last ten years was last year. Her husband came with her to Bella and I's wedding -- much to my surprise. My father had sent her an invitation. I'll admit, I choked up. Rebecca teared up as well and reconciliation was in order. It felt so nice.

Brady and Collin are still looking for love. I told them to start expanding past La Push, since the world was vast outside the reservation. Taking my advice to heart, they traveled out of La Push. Last I heard, they both currently have girlfriends. Although they aren't imprinted upon, Brady and Collin seemed happy indeed. Hopefully it lasts.

Billy and Charlie are still single and not too concerned about finding another wife. Bella and I seem to like it that way, especially me. They still go fishing and watch the ballgames on the television at the Swan residence. Their friendship hasn't faltered and Charlie also hasn't threatened to shoot me lately. They both attended Bella and I's wedding along with Renée and Phil. Renée and Phil got married five years ago and have stayed in contact with Bella over the years. Even Charlie and Renée have finally reconciled. Phil still travels (can you believe it?) but he now umpires instead of playing. Interestingly enough Bella and I will probably never see a game where he umpires. Oh well.

The Forks crew left for sunny Arizona. Jessica and Mike became high school sweethearts along with Angela and Eric. Leaving behind memories from Forks, they lost contact with Bella after they left. Subsequently, we couldn't send them an invitation. Be as it may, I'd rather not have Mike vomiting at my wedding. Tyler and Lauren actually stayed in Forks and had their own families. Happy endings, see?

Of course, I got my happy ending. I had to fight hard for it, even as Edward left. Even before I had imprinted on Bella, I had loved her. She was smart, funny, and clumsy; my Bella. In ten years time we had grew even more together. Though we headed off to different colleges (Bella to Dartmouth and I to a local two year college until I decided to become a mechanic), I kept my promise to marry her. We found a little house in Forks to settle in that didn't cost much. I couldn't offer Bella unlimited wealth, but I could give her undying loyalty and love. As I mentioned before, we decided to get married and planned the marriage last year. It was one of the best moments of my life.

Quil and Embry were both the 'Best Man' because I couldn't choose between them obviously. Bella chose Leah to be her 'Maid of Honor', which was expected. Claire posed as one of the bridesmaids near Quil, playing with the bracelet around her wrist. Rebecca's daughter and my niece was the flower girl, who threw rose petals down the aisle. Everyone was here and I couldn't help but to beam with pride next to my best friends, which included Bella, my soon-to-be-wife.

Charlie walked down the aisle with Bella, looking as beautiful as ever. I could remember the moment vividly. Putting the ring on her finger and kissing her after the vows was simply perfect. It was etched into my mind forever. Another moment that stuck out was the one where I saw Leah's face as she caught the bouquet. The clapping that had ensued afterward was directed toward the fact that Leah had grabbed Embry by the collar and kissed him passionately on the lips.

Finally, to top off my happy ending, Bella gave birth to our first child. She had inherited Bella's eyes naturally. The little bundle of joy was my personal sunshine. I would always treasure the moment I first laid eyes on my daughter.

Since Bella's picked name was Briley Brilly Black, I had to end that. I told her that we weren't doing that combined name shit. With convincing, we decided to choose a name that was special to us. That meant it was cheesy but we loved the name.

Leah Rose Black was the daughter of Jacob and Bella Black.

And so my happy ending found me; the pieces of the puzzle fit together just right. I loved Bella and Leah Rose; my life couldn't get any better. Happiness was a cure to any pain.

I glanced down at the two loves of my life. Bella looked up and met my eyes.

"I love you, Bella," I murmured.

"I love you more, Jacob," she replied, smiling.

Perfect.


End file.
